The Golf Monthly Top 100 Courses 2012. Fact, Fiction or Based On Advertising Spend?

Every year the same argument, how do Golf Monthly devise their list of top 100 UK & Ireland courses?  Nobody I know in the golf industry in Ireland contributes to the list and I’ve certainly never been asked. Yet there it is, proud as punch every year, every course with a number as if to declare it’s better than one lower down.
Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy the concept and am delighted to see previously unheralded courses such as Rosapenna Sandy Hills and Old Head finally get some recognition.  However I do have some issues.RMO_trap_R
Pic: Rory McIlroy in Ballyliffin
On a debate on facebook yesterday, the general consensus from a cross section of my 5,000 golfing friends is that ‘money talks’ and the suggestion was popular that those choosing to pay to advertise with Golf Monthly were somehow more likely to be afforded a higher ranking than those that did not. Of course I cannot confirm if there is any credence whatsoever to that suggestion.
Solheim Cup venue Killeen Castle is held up as an example of a course with financial difficulties and thus little advertising spend, but nevertheless a magnificent venue conspicuous by its absence from the list.
The list, in my opinion however, is full of seeming inaccuracies, the most glaring of which from an Irish point of view is the positioning of Ballyliffin Glashedy (safe to say universally regarded by Irish pros, amateurs and industry workers as among the top five links courses in the country) at number 74 on the list.  The venue was chosen as the iconic Irish links location by Oakley for their $6 million advertising shoot in 2011.
And Portmarnock Links have every right to feel hard done by at 90 on the list.
WOODS1 Also is it really correct to rank Irish Open venue Adare Manor at 98th on the list, 45 places lower than Hankley Common in Surrey? 
Pic: Tiger Woods tamed at Adare, 2010.
Surely if you match both venues in layout, beauty, difficulty, features, size, playability, facilities, it’s performance hosting Major events, clubhouse and ambiance, Adare would come better than 98th.
Here’s the list. Grab some tissues, this may make you weep.

Top 100 UK and Ireland golf courses 2012: (Click read more to expand full list)

1      Muirfield
2      Royal County Down
3      St Andrews - Old
4      Turnberry Ailsa
5      Royal Birkdale
6      Royal St George's
7      Royal Lytham & St Annes
8      Carnoustie Championship
9      Royal Dornoch - Championship
10    Sunningdale - New

11    Waterville
12    Royal Portrush - Dunluce
13    Ballybunion - Old
14    Sunningdale - Old
15    Royal Liverpool
16    Kingsbarns
17    The European Club
18    Woodhall Spa - Hotchkin
19    Royal Aberdeen - Balgownie
20    Ganton
21    Loch Lomond
22    Doonbeg
23    Lahinch - Old
24    Royal Troon - Old
25    Castle Stuart
26    St Georges Hill - Red & Blue
27    Walton Heath - Old
28    Royal Porthcawl
29    Portmarnock - Red & Blue
30    Hillside
31    North Berwick
32    Nairn Championship
33    Old Head
34    Swinley Forrest
35    Wentworth - West
36    Gleneagles - King's
37    Burnham & Berrow - Championship
38    Formby
39    Saunton - East
40    The Berkshire - Red
41    St Endoc - Church
42    Rosapenna - Sandy Hill
43    Prestwick
44    Hankley Common
45    Royal West Norfolk
46    Royal St Davids
47    Royal Cinque Ports
48    Notts
49    Walton Heath - New
50    Machrihanish
51    Tralee
52    Western Gailes
53    Silloth On Solway
54    West Sussex
55    The Alwoodley
56    County Louth
57    Saunton - West
58    Aberdovey
59    Blairgowrie - Rosemount
60    The Berkshire - Blue
61    Rye - Old
62    Gleneagles - Queen's
63    Lough Erne
64    Southport & Ainsdale
65    K Club - Palmer Ryder Cup
66    St Andrews - New
67    Worplesdon
68    Moortown
69    Hunstanton
70    Trevose - Championship
71    Druids Glen
72    Gullane - No. 1
73    Liphook
74    Ballyliffin - Glashedy
75    Royal North Devon
76    West Lancashire
77    Aldeburgh
78    The Belfry - Brabazon
79    The Island
80    Woburn - Marquess
81    Bearwood Lakes
82    The Grove
83    Mount Juliet
84    Ladybank
85    Wentworth - East
86    Renaissance
87    Killarney - Killeen
88    West Hill
89    Cruden Bay
90    Portmarnock Links
91    St Andrews - Castle
92    Sherwood Forest
93    The Wisley Church & Mill
94    Woburn Duchess'
95    Nefyn & District
96    Carne
97    Woburn Duke's
98    Adare Manor
99    Woking
100  Royal Worlington & Newmarket

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